


Let the Water Lead Us Home

by sparklylulz (sparklyulz)



Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: All the characters are probably too nice, F/M, I really just made this as overly cliche as possible looking back on it, Multi, Odin is for once a good parent, Pre The Avengers, Pre Thor: The Dark World, Redemption, Sif is wisest, good amounts of cheese, heimdall is the coolest, slight angst, thor being a grown up, too many musical metaphors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-07
Updated: 2014-03-07
Packaged: 2018-01-14 22:57:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1281829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sparklyulz/pseuds/sparklylulz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Following a stint with The Avengers, Thor brings Jane to Asgard with every intention of marrying her. However, when Jane stumbles across a secret garden path and forges an unlikely friendship with Loki, things get complicated. -Loki/Jane, originally written in 2011.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let the Water Lead Us Home

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was originally written in 2011 following the release of Thor. I left it sitting for years on my other account, all errors and plot holes remaining. I recently decided to clean it up and post it here.
> 
> I am ridiculously fond of this pairing, and I miss the days when I had time to write for them. 
> 
> It's not necessarily my strongest work, but it's the first multi-chaptered fic I ever wrote and finished, so I am proud of it. Thanks to all those who have read it, even if it wasn't cleaned up. I hope newcomers will enjoy it too!
> 
> I am posting it all as one chapter here because that seems to be more appropriate on this platform, but I don't think the transitions will be confusing. There will probably still be a few errors I didn't catch, and I beg your forgiveness for them. Thanks for reading!

**_let the water lead us home_ **

* * *

Jane's senses were overloaded as she felt herself sucked into the Bifrost, Thor's warm arms wrapped around her small waist in a comfortable fashion. Though he carried the title of the god of thunder, he always held her gently, as though he might hurt her with too much pressure. Upon reflection she concluded that he probably could snap her between his fingers like the smallest of twigs. She shuddered slightly in his arms at the thought as they raced through space, her heartbeat raging in her eardrums.

Asgard upon the first blinding moment of her landing there stood tall and breathtaking, much more than Thor had ever described it to her. Her knees felt weak as Thor landed them both on the newly reconstructed bridge; the rainbow light sent speckles of color dancing in her chocolate locks and shimmering upon his rugged face. She felt as though it would be impossible to not smile at the splendor which lay ahead of her as far as her human eyes could trace. Before she could stop herself, she let out a giddy laugh, spinning as to see every thing, treating this experience like it all could be ripped away from her at any moment.

She took in everything from the sea spray that licked at her ankles to the large golden relic of Odin standing in stark contrast to the dying light in the sky. She licked her lips in anticipation and simple joy at the fact that this was not a dream. Her gaze shifted to the sky that held the last explosion of color from the fading day; bright red and orange mingled in with the blue to form a symphony of color.

"This is  _amazing_ , Thor!" She says happily, looking at the waves that turned beneath the bridge where her feet were planted.

Thor allowed a bright smile to light up his handsome face as he watched the woman he loved turn and gaze at his father's castle. His long blond hair whipped around in the warm summer wind coming up off the ocean water. He could not have wished for a better outcome, for he knew that Jane would not take Asgard for granted as he had for so many years of his life. The sky was dimming with the fading light from the sun, though the air still felt warm. He sighed in content.

He was home.

.:.

Jane felt immensely underdressed as Thor's warm and large hand enveloped her own, pulling her excitedly towards the hulking structure that served as his home for so long. Her heart thudded too quickly and she began to feel sweat beads at the nape of her neck, but Thor's exuberance at having her in Asgard left her breathless.

When Thor had stumbled back into her life, she found it hard not to give all of herself to him - to just start tearing his clothes off piece by piece. However, she had simply stood, slack jawed, in her small trailer. She was certain she was hallucinating, because she had dreamed of his large frame pushing her door open and sweeping her off her feet so many times before that moment had actually come to pass.

"Lady Jane," He had said simply, her name falling from his tongue like the sweetest sound she had ever heard. Her shock and astonishment turned quickly to happiness, causing her to drop the bowl she'd just finished washing.

The shatter of the glass on the tile caused her to jump and Thor to flinch a little, but then he let out one of his booming laughs that reminded her, not surprisingly, of thunder. His hair was much longer than she remembered it, but then again she hadn't seen him in several months time. Without warning she reached out a small hand to run her small fingers through the beautiful golden mane. He sighed into her touch, his long frame leaning into her.

"I thought you were never coming back to me." She admits quietly, her face pressed into his solid chest, the heat flowing from his warm arms into her cooler skin. This was what serenity must feel like, she could remember thinking.

His warmth had lingered in her veins throughout the rest of that cool winter night in the New Mexico desert. He had laid against her on the bed in the back of the trailer, while she hummed soft lullabies into his ears. Jane had been gifted with logic and intelligence, but she could also sing, much better than she let on to others usually.

Since the age of three, Jane Foster had loved to sing to anyone who would listen to her. Of course this passion left her when she realized if she wanted to be taken seriously in the scientific field, she'd have to give up such frivolities. She missed it, the melody that would swell within her chest and the words that would then flow from her lips - it seemed to always be burning just below the surface and sometimes she found she just couldn't contain it any longer.

The happiness at having Thor back with her again gave her the courage to let the song slips from her throat and encompass them both.

"That was very beautiful, Jane." Thor's voice sounded scratchy from sleep, "I remember being sung to as a boy." He said gently, because it has literally been centuries ago and those memories seem to be the ones going the quickest.

Jane raised an eyebrow at him, "By your mother?" She asked candidly, tracing different patterns into his bare forearm. His face stretched into what she could only describe as a small, sad smile.

"No, actually, it was Loki that used to sing to me. He always had a talent for music that I will never possess."

She hid her surprise from his admittance, watching as the glow from the overhead light flickered in his glossy eyes. He seemed lost in thought, probably back to when Loki had been his brother and not his enemy.

"Sometimes even now when I cannot sleep I long for him to sing to me." With that he rolled over sleepily, allowing his large body to fall into the state of rest it so very needed.

.:.

The wide sweeping doors that led into the ornate hall of Odin left Jane feeling like the tiny, mortal woman she was. The gold that shimmered all around her depicted scenes of great battles and kings in other worlds past. She let her jaw drop as she gazed at all the splendor and magnificence, leaving a chuckling Thor in her wake as she went to examine the walls and floor.

"I see you are enjoying my hall, Lady Jane." A deep voice called to her. It sounded like comfort and wisdom and strength all wrapped up in one blow. She turned to see Odin standing at the end of the cavernous room, a smile dancing lightly on his lips.

"Oh, yes, sir. It is beautiful." She said quickly before bowing her head in an embarrassed fashion, adverting her eyes from his lined face. Laughter rang out from behind her and she felt the vibrations of glee when Thor placed a massive hand on the small of her back, sending tingles up her entire spine.

"You need not be embarrassed, Jane." Thor spoke gently, still smiling down at this peculiar woman before turning his gaze up to his father. "Father, this is the woman I told you about all those months ago."

Odin was peering down at Jane in an interested fashion, his uncovered eye taking in her beauty and her obviously humble persona. She complimented his son, though her energy was not one he generally associated with Thor. He could read that she was logical, most assuredly a scientific being, someone who found solace in problems and finding solutions.

"Yes, she is very lovely, indeed. It seems we have much more discussing to do." The All Father answered cryptically, causing Jane's brow to furrow in confusion, though she did not speak her questions aloud.

She watched the way Thor looked at his father with such an enchanted gaze, as if Odin held every thing Thor had ever wanted. Then again, he in all likelihood did. She wished that as a child she had been given something that meant as much to her as Odin meant to his son. She briefly pondered, not for the first time, where Loki fell into all of this at.

"Yes, allow me to take Jane to her chambers and I will come to speak with you." The blond said to his father, placing an arm around Jane's slender body. The All Father nodded, turning to allow them both to leave in peace.

"It was nice to meet you, sir." Jane said at the last moment, causing Odin to give a gentle nod to her, surprising him with her bravery.

Perhaps she was not so unlike Thor after all.

.:.

She listened to Thor's heavy footsteps retreat from her chambers as looked around the spacious room that had been given to her. The theme of the room was a deep blue color, splashes and swirls of blue on the walls and deep colored sheets. She loved it, all the colors reminded her of a clear night sky, just light enough so it wasn't totally black, but dark enough to see the stars.

She had a large window that overlooked the back side of the castle, stretching as far as the eye could make out into the West. She watched as the sun finally slid behind the mountains in the distance, the stars slowly popping up one by one. Though they were not the constellations she had studied and loved so much as a child, she still could not stop the joy that spread throughout her at the sight of them. Asgard gave her a chance to learn again, a chance she vowed not to take for granted.

She stood, deciding that she would go search for the observatory that Thor had once told her about back on Earth. It didn't frighten her to be on a different planet; Jane had never feared a challenge, when she was given the choice between safety and adventure, she always chose adventure. Her feet carried her back out into the hallway, then she found a back entrance to the building relatively quickly.

Her mind gave her a logical map to follow in order to find her destination, but she was constantly distracted along the way, her eyes drifting towards all the streets and the bright flowers that lined them. Even the air smelled beautiful in Asgard; it was more than she could have ever imagined without actually witnessing it for herself.

At last she found the round topped building, with a shock she realized that it also doubled for the portal to the Bifrost. Standing at the entrance, ever vigilant, was Heimdall; his dark eyes roved over her, analyzing what her purpose was in being in front of him. He held his gaze steady, watching as she looked at all the things around her, he noticed the small smile that laced her features.

"You wish to look at the stars, do you not, Lady Foster?" He asked, sure of his query. She whipped around to see him, her face still lit up with interest.

"Yes, I do. Is that... is that acceptable?" She asked, catching the keeper off guard, it was rare anyone ever asked him to gaze at the stars. The last person to do so had been the silver-tongued prince, but that had been a very long time ago.

"Yes, you may use any of the telescopes you deem satisfactory." He said slowly, side stepping so as to not be in her way. She smiled her thanks up to him and moved by him to enter the circular room, with its bronze insides gleaming in the light being emitted by the energy source housed in the middle of the floor.

She gazed up through a long, copper telescope into the heavens; she gasped with awe because it wasn't like Earth where she felt as though the stars were so far away; here looking through the telescope she could have sworn that she could touch the bright balls hanging in the empty space.

She began by drawing them slowly in her pocket journal, wondering whether or not anyone had ever bothered to name them before. Surely they had, she couldn't be the first one on the planet to be interested in astronomy. She saw Heimdall's dark hand in her peripheral vision and looked over at him quickly.

"The answer you seek is yes." Heimdall said suddenly, taking her by surprise. Thor had explained the Heimdall could see all, so perhaps that included her thoughts. "Prince Loki named all the constellations in our skies. You will find his work in the volumes on the shelves." With that the gate keeper turned, repositioning himself at the archway into the domed room.

It struck her that Loki had given so much to his family and to the Asgardians, and once again she wondered what had caused him to change his mind about his home. She plucked a thick tome off the shelf and opened it to find meticulously drawn illustrations as well as notes scrawled in excellent penmanship. He had outlined many of the constellations she had just witnessed through the telescope.

The care that had gone into these drawings struck her like one of Thor's hammer fells. Loki must have spent ages just staring through a telescope, night after night. She briefly stopped to contemplate what Thor was doing while his brother was down here, sketching. Thor was in most likelihood training to become the king, fighting and sparring, but Loki dedicated himself to the task of preserving the heavens for generations to come. The thought caused her to smile a little.

She instantly regretted her lapse in judgement because she knew what Loki had done and who he had become, and she could not excuse that behavior for the simple fact that he had given so much to science. She shook her head and decided that what she needed most was sleep. She tidied up around her, placing the heavy book back on the long shelf.

It was as she made her way back through Asgard that she first heard the keys of a piano being played in such a beautiful fashion it caused her to she simply stop in the street to listen. The strange lament made her heart ache and she was struck with a desire to ask Thor what had become of his brother.

She hummed along with notes hanging in the warm air, her thoughts miles away with the constellations in the dark sky.

.:.

Thor whooped with laughter as Volstagg charged him, delighting in how easily sparring came naturally to the prince. It was in fighting that he found his true contentment, his balance of rage and peace. It was a bright, clear morning, the fog hovering above the grounds in front of the castle where he raised his hammer to fight his most trusted friends.

His mind travelled back to the previous night when Jane had posed an interesting question to him after they had dined together in his chambers. Her brown hair was pulled out of her face, causing her to look more angular and less soft - Thor was not sure if he liked this look on her or not. However, he was sure of her in his heart, especially after his discussion with his father the night before.

"Thor what happened to Loki? After you came back to me?" She whispered, almost as if she were afraid to ask him. He felt the smallest twinge in his chest, every time his brother's name fell from another's lips it was like a brand searing into his heart.

"He was sentenced to remain on Asgard for the rest of his days." Thor voiced gently, looking at his roaring fire place, watching the flames lick at the logs. Jane had shot him a puzzled look.

"Why here? He tried to destroy you all, right?" She asked him, trying to understand his simple statement. He sighed and finally looked up at her, the flames from the fire dancing in his eyes.

"No, he tried to destroy the Frost Giants. Loki has always been mischievous, but his actions have their consequences," Thor began softly, "Loki wanted to prove his worth to my father, he said," the thunder god stumbled across his words briefly, trying to sort them out in his mind, "He said he only ever wanted to be my equal." Thor choked out, the memory still haunting him. It had frightened him how much Loki had not looked like himself as he at uttered those dark thoughts that had plagued him for so long.

"Okay, but that doesn't justify trying to destroy an entire race." Jane pointed out logically, still not understanding where he was coming from.

"To Loki it did. I found out from my father later that Loki is not my biological brother. Father found him during the battle with the Frost Giants. He took the small child whom he discovered was Laufey's son." He hated saying the words out loud because they didn't sound like the  _right_  words to him. They sounded jumbled and in no way eloquent, as though he could never do Loki justice by them.

"Oh shit." Jane swore mildly, a small hand coming up to cover her face in horror. "So he, he just wanted to prove that he could be an Asgardian. He was trying to better Asgard in a warped way." She inferred and Thor simply nodded at her, grateful that she finally understood.

"He was forced to remain here to keep an eye on him, but also because he loves Asgard; father understands Loki and I trust his judgement." Thor's last statement held a tone of finality and Jane simply nodded at him. She felt that it was cruel to force Loki to stay in a place where no one would ever forgive him for his actions. In a moment of clarity she felt that Loki was a lot more human than she had once believed.

"Oi! Thor, are you even listening to me?" Fandral's voice broke into Thor's train of thought, catching him off guard with a blow to the chest. Thor chuckled, aiming a hit at his friend.

Sif stood watching both men fight, laughing slightly at their childish antics. She could remember why she wanted to be a warrior so badly, because after she awoke to dark locks, she realized that it would be the only way Thor would ever truly look at her again. So she fought for her right to ride into battle by his side.

"Sif! Why are you not joining in on the sparring?" Thor asked, heavily panting after finishing with Fandral. The sweat glistened on his forehead in the bright sun light as he downed a canteen of water.

"I find it much more instructional to watch you two blunder around each other; it teaches me what not to do in battle." She threw the playful dig at him and he laughed once more, a sound that always enchanted her.

The two caught sight of Jane making her way out of the castle and into the wide gardens. Sif watched the way Thor's eyes traced after her, such content written all over his face that it broke her heart. She realized that he was looking down at her with interested eyes after a moment.

"Sif, do you find Jane to be agreeable?" Thor asked her, his tone filled with pure curiosity.

Sif looked to where Jane had been a moment ago, "Yes, she is very agreeable. Though I fail to see why you need my opinion on such matters." She answered honestly, to which Thor merely blinked down at her.

"You have been one of my most trusted friends for centuries, I should like to know if you find anyone agreeable." His words caused warmth to swell within her chest, her cheeks turning only the slightest shade of crimson.

"Then yes, Thor, she is much agreeable. However, I did not think you found dark hair to be appealing?" She said, recalling memories of a time that seemed to be a different life.

"That was long ago, Sif, I was foolish back then. Earth taught me many things about beauty." He answered simply, giving a soft smile down at her. "Now get out there and fight me so I may keep your ego in check." He followed up, giving her a pat on the shoulder, before returning to the field.

Sif laughed as she made her way towards him, allowing herself the smallest amount of hope.

.:.

It wasn't too terribly warm out as Jane made her quick way through the backstreets of Asgard, exploring the many facets of the realm. The people of Asgard were all kind and receptive to her, though many of them towered over her. When Thor had spoken of giants, Jane wondered how big they must be to be considered giants to an Asgardian.

She ran over Thor's words from the previous night with chagrin. " _He said he only ever wanted to be my equal._ " The small sentence reverberated in echoes around her mind. She'd always thought Loki was just some sadistic bastard, but in reality he was just incredibly wounded - misguided, for sure, but she could understand him a bit better now.

Being lost in her thoughts carried her away from the main hub of Asgard, into the less populated part of town. The forest was close now, she knew not to venture in there, for she might never find her way out. A sound interrupted her thought pattern and she snapped still at the melody of a piano drifting in the air. It was the same sad tune she had heard before, the noise sounded much closer to her now, however.

She followed the song as best she could, through winding side roads and cluttered bunches of trees until she emerged at a small cabin like home. The piano sounded louder than ever and she realized with a jolt it was coming from right beyond the back garden. She peered through the crack in the gate, to see the back of a slender man, his pale fingers spread across the keys.

"What brings you here, Jane Foster?" The man asked abruptly, stopping his fingers from progressing any further into the song.

His voice was calm and smooth, it washed over her and she felt drawn in by the caressing tone of it. It was one of those voice she could have listened to read a phone book or dictionary and not complained once. His black hair fell over the green of his cloak trailing to the ground. He was in stark contrast with the white piano in front of him.

"I heard you playing while I was walking. It was a beautiful piece." She admitted honestly, after she found the ability to form words once more. "Did you write it?" The question spilled from her lips without her permission, but she couldn't take it back.

"You should not be here, Lady Foster." His words come out carefully, as if he were using them to veil something else. After a pregnant pause he turned from the piano towards her; his face strikes her, firstly because of how  _pale_  he is, especially with his raven hair. Secondly because he is stunning - he is not ruggedly handsome like Thor, but his face is angular and the only word she can come up with to describe him is 'beautiful.'

"You're Loki, aren't you." It's not so much a question as a definitive statement. His green cape has given him away to her if nothing else; she takes a moment to think to herself that this man is not what she pictured Loki as at all.

He sent a half smirk in her direction, "Yes, and you are Jane Foster. My br-" He caught himself mid sentence, "Thor brought you to Asgard several days ago." He said it in a bored tone, but Jane could tell that he was interested in what she was doing there. She stood in defiance to him, her bravery fueling her.

"It seems you know quite a bit about me already." She stated bluntly, her eyes leaving his face to take in the rest of his garden. The flowers were colorful and exotic, mingling nicely with the plain color of the large piano.

"I simply observe. I also know why the god of thunder has brought you here." He sounded confident of himself and she looked around to him, clearly puzzled by this statement.

His eyes had not left her face as though he was trying to memorize every facet of her complexion. His gaze holds such an intensity she felt like she should turn away, she did not allow herself to though. She studied him just as closely, from his bright green eyes to the silver ring that traced his right middle finger. Within the ring lay a beautiful gem, one that Jane recognized from her years in the science field. Labradorite was not a rare gem, but she has only seen it twice in her life, both times being in a museum. The blue and green color transfixed her for a moment before she could remember what he has just spoken aloud to her.

"He knew I wanted to see Asgard, he understands my love of the stars and cosmos." She defended quickly, causing Loki to smirk at her once more.

"He intends to marry you." He said without any pretense and she felt her entire body freeze up in a small panic.

"I-  _what_?" She blurted out, thoroughly confused by this pronouncement.

Loki laughs a throaty laugh with the smallest touch of malice to it. "Mortals may only visit Asgard if an Asgardian is seeking permission from the king to be wed." He returned simply, as though this is plain knowledge, she realized with a pang that it probably _was_  well known to the locals.

"Well that seems like a stupid rule." She said after a moment of thinking about ridiculous it would be if Thor asked her to marry him; they'd only been together for a month.

The slender man stood to his full height after a moment, she could see where his giant blood came in. "Perhaps, but then again we can't just make anyone immortal, now can we?" His eyes sparkled with mirth at her obvious confusion. "Well, not technically immortal, but you would live for thousands of years. You would be queen for several millennia also." His tone had taken on a biting sarcasm but she ignored this, looking to the insecure thought that must be behind his statements.

"Did you write that piece or not?" She said, aiming to distract him from his bitter thoughts of the throne and Thor. His face darkens for a brief moment before he looks back up at her.

"Yes. Music is simply another channel for magic." It was a definitive answer and she thought he probably just said a lot more than he believed he had. "They will be expecting you for dinner soon, Lady Foster. I would suggest making your way back." He spoke before turning back to his piano, she knew she needed to leave, but glimpsed his half turned face.

"I saw your drawings of the constellations. They were incredible." With that she turned from him, making her quick footsteps away from his garden and back towards the heart of Asgard.

She swore she could hear Loki's song during the entire trek back to the castle, and if she strained her ears hard enough, she might hear words sung in a foreign tongue.

.:.

Loki listened to the sound of her feet traveling the path back to Thor, a path he had traveled many times in the past. He lifted his hands once more to the keys, one of his few remaining means of clarity and relief. His fingers danced across the ivory in a rhythm he had long since perfected.

He opened his mouth and allowed the words to the old song to flow out, he remembered hearing it for the the first time as a boy. He can recall singing it to Thor one night when he couldn't sleep, his memories often seem to lead him back to Thor. Sometimes he thinks life would have been easier if he had simply not cared about his father's attention. Loki had always been ambitious and power hungry, though, craving the love from a parent that he now knows he never truly had.

Yet, when all the rest of Asgard feared and loathed him, Thor's soon to be betrothed came to him, without fear or hesitation. She had openly complimented him; perhaps she was a fool, but maybe she could see that he was not evil. He shook his head and began to lead into the next verse of the old song.

Jane Foster was certainly beautiful, her dark hair contrasting with her paler skin tone. She did not seem to him as a conventional choice for his brother, being a woman without golden hair. Her eyes had sparkled when he spoke of music and magic being fused, causing more interest to flare up inside him, though he knew he should not be concerned in the least with the frail Midgardian mortal.

Still, the look on her face as he told her that Thor intended to marry her was what truly peaked his curiosity. She did not look thrilled or even surprised - she was frightened, as though it was some sort of trap.

He allowed the song to die within his throat as the sun sank behind the mountains in the West. He stood once more from his bench, waving his hands over the instrument in order for it to disappear.

Loki would lie awake all night, the vision of Jane's face stuck in his mind, and for one human second, he allowed himself the hope that perhaps she would return to see him once again.

* * *

As a small girl, Jane had been quite normal in her interests and toys. She was always carrying around the same old ratty doll, treating it as though it were her best friend. She enjoyed her tea parties and the story of princesses of far off lands. Yet, the only thing she had never contemplated as a child that she now found herself thinking about constantly was marriage.

The idea of Thor asking for her hand in holy matrimony seemed so ludicrous, she couldn't even properly wrap her mind around it. Sure, he was a great man, he was practically a god for crying out loud, but that didn't mean she wanted to marry him - did it? All the thoughts churned over and over in her mind as she lay in her warm bed.

Marriage felt like such a restraint to her naturally scientific mind; she wanted to explore and discover and enjoy life and if she were to become a princess all those things would most likely go out the window. She would be required to produce an heir to Thor and Asgard, preferably a boy. She ran a shaky hand through her long dark hair, inhaling deeply in a moment of panic.

She couldn't even manage to keep her pet turtle alive and that was within the past year, so why on earth would Thor expect her to be able to help run a kingdom? Her heart clenched at the thought of failing the Asgardian people, at destroying something so beautiful and perfect as this world where everything was the way it should be. She also wasn't sure she would want to stay on Asgard forever, because she loved Earth and all her memories were there and not here, and if she were to become a queen she could never go back to her own world.

She pushed the covers off of her quickly, knowing that she had to get out of the large oval room. She needed the fresh night air to calm her nerves; she needed stars and constellations and things with meaning and order to keep her in check. Her hurried foot falls were quiet in the large silent halls of the house of Odin.

She burst into the sloping back lawn, her heart racing and her hands still shaking. It took her a moment to orient herself, but she soon began to just walk, allowing her feet to take her wherever they wished. It was a testament to how in tune her mind and her body were that she could see the large domed building on the dark horizon. She grinned a little to herself, moving in quicker strides towards the observatory.

Heimdall gave her a kind look as she came towards him, his dark hands clutching the golden sword awarded to him. His expression held a lot of comfort for the lost, wandering woman, trying to find her footing in the universe. He could see many things, some that had not even come to pass, and so he knew that Jane Foster had a bigger role to play in Asgard than previously thought.

"Can I go up, Heimdall?" She asked quietly, her voice thick with tiredness. She was peering over his massive shoulder to the only dimly lit room, trying to convince her body that she really wasn't that sleepy.

"If you do not mind company." He said cryptically, gliding out of her way, causing her brow to furrow as she pushed past him into the cavernous room. Her heart thudded to a halt as she laid eyes on a slender figure leaning over a telescope, a long pen clutched in his long fingers.

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Jane Foster?" She didn't know how he managed to make her name sound like that, so quiet and soft, but still strong and even the smallest bit seductive. His voice entranced her as she took her next steps toward where he sat leaning over the peculiar telescope.

"I- I couldn't sleep." She answered lamely, feeling as small as a fly on the wall under his scrutiny. He turned towards her slowly, still absentmindedly clutching his pen between his fingers.

His eyes are sporting bags that weren't there the last time she'd seen him. She guessed that he probably had as much trouble as she did in the sleeping department. He's devoid of his green cape, instead wearing a simple black shirt and loose fitting white pants. Even in pajamas he was incredibly striking, causing her to swallow her nerves and move toward him.

"That much is plain, I had assumed you wouldn't sleep walk here." He spoke, the sarcasm in his voice thick as he turns back to his work, leaving her feeling like he just slapped her.

She pushed past her stunned stung feelings and instead settled for a more humorous approach. "Well, one never knows where they might sleep walk to, do they?" She swore she saw the ghost of a smile flit across his too serious brow.

As her eyes roamed down his outline against the dark night sky, she noticed a long scar peaking over the top of his dark shirt. The scar is thrown into relief by the light of the stars and she wonders what could have left such a mark on him, though she does not have the courage to ask him. Instead she leans over his work cautiously, studying what he is drawing.

"You really enjoy the stars, don't you?" She asked after a moment of silence, her small face up turned toward the vast expanse of space.

Loki felt struck by how  _childlike_  she looked in that small moment, the tease of a grin dancing on her lips while she examines the sky and all it has to offer her. She looked like just standing in the cold observatory with a doomed prince and a bunch of dusty books around was all she could ever hope for. It was the first time Loki had ever seen someone look completely comfortable anywhere, and he struggled to grasp that concept.

"I've spent much of my time on Asgard recording the stars and their various formations." He muttered quickly, his hands still sketching from memory. "I suppose as you Migardians say, 'Old habits die hard.'" She blinked slowly and realized  _he was joking_ , the proclaimed god of lies just cracked a joke.

She sat on the stool to the right of his telescope and sighed into the silence of the night, her eyes still heavy with the sleep that her body so craved but her mind wouldn't allow to come. It was all she had ever wanted to come true and she was sharing this moment with the man who had tried to destroy her current boyfriend and an entire race of beings to prove he was good enough to be the son of Odin. Just when had her life had turned into some terrible cliché?

"All I had ever wanted was to travel the distance between the stars." She admitted slowly, while he sat in silence, gazing with one eye into the distance. His hand froze where it rested upon the paper and though he did not look up, she knew he was interested in what she said. "It's probably stupid, but as a little girl, I believed that in stars is where magic was kept."

He looked over at her, his brow furrowed as if he was trying to understand what she just said. His cool features relaxed only for a fraction of a moment.

"It is, Jane Foster." Is all he said, but she thought he had probably been holding many more things back. They lapsed back into the quiet of the night and before she knew what was happening, her eyes closed and she was dreaming of magic and the heavens and a man in an emerald green cloak.

Loki looked up from his observations some time later to notice Jane's slumped head and her even breathing. He rolled his eyes; mortals and their inability to resist the frivolous state of sleep. He noticed the bumps lining her arms and realized that she was cold; Loki had never particularly had any need to be warm, so thus the cool temperatures of the night did not affect him. He understood now that this was because he wasn't actually Asgardian at all, but he pushed that painful thought to the back of his mind.

He could leave her there, to be discovered by others in their varying morning commutes, and it would most assuredly send Thor into a panic when he couldn't find her. He smirked at the thought of the house of Odin being in an uproar over one missing Midgardian. However, she had been kind to him and Loki never took acts of kindness toward him for granted as there had been so few in his life.

He picked her up in his arms, noting that she couldn't weigh more than a feather and inhaled her floral scent. It was not overwhelming, but subtle and reminded him of his own garden. He carried her to where Heimdall stood, stoic and strong against the on coming day break. The gate keeper's eyes flashed to where Loki stood, Jane cradled gently in his firm arms.

"I do not wish to go to the All Father's home and cause an uproar at this time of night." He said simply, knowing that Heimdall would understand what he was trying to convey. "I trust you will take her to her proper room." With that the older man merely inclined his head, outstretching his arms to take the small woman.

As she past from his body, Loki felt something stir within his chest, but dismissed it as soon as Heimdall had turned to trek toward the royal family's home. The gatekeeper, however, had not missed the ever so faint look of content the dark prince had used when he gazed upon the mortal woman. Things were becoming decidedly curiouser.

Loki walked quickly back to his home, shaking his arms in a vein hope to relieve the faint tingling she had left upon his icy skin.

.:.

The early morning sun was dancing its way into the clear sky as Sif strode next to Thor, trying to ignore the urge to simply fall asleep where she stood. Why he had chosen to wake her up at the crack of dawn, she wasn't sure, but any time she spent with Thor she had learned to cherish. He was alert, as he always seemed to be since returning from Midgard. It seemed time on that planet had done a lot to mature his heart, and for that Sif would always be grateful.

Thor's expression may have seemed clear, but inside his mind was churning with thoughts. He had not slept well in several days, not since his first night back and his talk with the All Father. Before he had come back to his home, he had been so sure that Jane was all he could ever want in a woman. She was beautiful and intelligent and brave, but now he felt himself slipping into a questioning state of mind.

"Thor, are you quite sure in Jane?" The All Father had asked as they toured the back gardens; he can remember playing hide and seek with Loki in these very bushes - he felt his heart clench at the thought of the other man.

"Yes, Father. She is smart and very beautiful." Thor's brow furrowed as he turned to look at his father. "Do you not find her to be suitable for me? She's saved my life many times." He added, sure that the older man would appreciate this knowledge.

Odin allowed himself a deep sigh. "I will support whomever you chose to marry, son. However, if you enter this matrimony, it can never be undone and Jane seems like a woman who enjoys her freedom." He stated plainly, finally voicing his concerns about a rushed marriage. He eyed his son, who looked shocked by the pronouncement.

Thor thought about this, the fact that he and Jane would be together for what would seem like forever, especially to her.

"I believe she loves me." He simply said after a few moments, stopping to look up at the dark night sky, his mind racing.

The All Father looked at his son sadly; there were many times when Odin could see the same little boy that believed in the good in everyone, and as his son gazed at the stars, wide-eyed, he saw that small child once more. "Yes, but she's a scientist. She doesn't naturally come by the ways of the heart. You understand how those with that mindset think."

He did not say it, but Loki's name hung in the air all around him and Thor glanced towards the south wing of his home, half expecting to see Loki peering out a window as he so loved to do when they were boys.

"I do not wish to cause you conflict, but what do you truly know about her?" Odin asked, and his question left Thor completely puzzled. What did he know about Jane? He watched the All Father retreat back inside, but Thor sat in that garden for a very long time, just allowing himself to  _think_.

"I do not know anything about Jane." He voiced after a few moments, catching Sif completely off guard after walking in silence for so long.

She whipped her long raven hair from her face, a frown creasing her beautiful face. "Then perhaps you should take better note of her interests? Where she likes to go?" She suggested after a few more paces, stopping to look up at the breath taking man in front of her.

"Thank you, Sif. You have been a good friend to me, often when I do not deserve it." He spoke sincerely, laying a gentle hand on her small shoulder. He noted how her cheeks flushed a pinkish color he had never seen her wear before and for the smallest second he felt stunned by how pretty she was.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's see how nice you'll be after today's training!" She managed to choke out after a few seconds, causing a wide grin to spread across his cheeks.

She would never forget the feeling she received from seeing that smile, almost like it had been meant just for her.

.:.

Thor followed Sif's advice and decided to investigate what Jane's hobbies may be, considering all he truly knows about is that she is a scientist and she loves the stars and music. He wondered what her favorite color was and how he could have missed knowing it.

He finds her reading in the garden, a blanket wrapped loosely around her shoulders to combat the winds blowing across the grounds. She looked content, her face holding a light smile as she continued to read. He sat in front of her, scaring her slightly before her features changed and she gave him a small smile in acknowledgment.

"How are you today?" He asked cordially, causing her to look up at him with a queer expression. She had wondered why he always spoke to her as though they were strangers; things with Thor were always slightly awkward since the moment she met him and she wasn't sure how to stop it from constantly happening.

"I'm very well." He smiled at her, "And how was your training?" She asked him politely, causing his eyes to brighten. He loved battle and fighting and he mistook her curiosity for her enjoying those things as well. As he spoke he watches as her eyes gloss over and become unfocused.

"Jane? You don't actually enjoy battle, do you?" He asked after a few moments and she looked apologetically up at him.

"No, I just - I don't really understand it." She spoke, looking guilty at her apparently lack of interest.

Thor allowed them to lapse into silence, his thoughts being filled with unease at their lack of communication. He wondered if perhaps bringing her to Asgard had not been in their best interest, but he was not sure how to rectify the damage now.

He just hoped perhaps when we they were wed and could spend more time together, things would become easier for both of them.

.:.

Jane couldn't stop herself from returning to the observatory as frequently as she can. She had woken the following morning after her night spent star gazing with the least likely person, not in atop the spindley chair she knew she'd fallen asleep on, but in her warm and comfortable bed.

Heimdall had noticed her coming and going frequently as well, assuming she was merely interested in the constellations until he noticed the earnest look on her face that would fall as soon as she reached the inside of his safe keeping. He knew that she was looking for the master of magic; sometimes she would wait for hours before leaving, down trodden and tired.

It was nearly a week after her last encounter with the sorcerer, which had disheartened her greatly as to if she would get to see him again. Jane wasn't an idiot, she knew it was wrong to feel hopeful at the thought of seeing him - but he had transfixed her attention from the first moment she had spotted him, and now she couldn't stop herself. She was a scientist; she believed in hypotheses and studying variables and so she told herself she was studying him, for  _science_.

She stumbled into the circular room later than usual, she had been delayed by Thor not leaving for his council with Odin early enough. She winced as she thought how badly she had just wanted to leave his company to come here. He had actually asked her where she had been disappearing to and it wasn't technically a lie to say she was going star gazing. She just merely omitted the fact that she was hoping to see his wayward brother, who had once been hell bent on destroying him.

"Good evening, Miss Foster." A cool voice broke into her thoughts and she snapped her head up from her previous view of the ground so hard she popped a few vertebra in the process.

He was standing in the middle of the room, simply gazing at the light source in the floor that connected Asgard to all the all the other realms in the universe. The blue light is causing him to look more sinister than she had ever seen him, but in a way it makes her heart skip a beat, because danger was written all over him and Jane's never done the best job in the way of avoiding danger in her life.

"Hi." She said lamely, her cheeks turning the lightest shade of pink, her hands fidgeting awkwardly at her sides. He raised one eyebrow at her, a light smirk lining his angular features.

"What brings you here this evening?" He asked smoothly, running a hand through his hair in a way that makes her feel her knees buckle slightly. His dark hair fell haphazardly around his shoulders, the green cloak once again upon his back. She swallows somewhat visibly and looked over his shoulder to the dark horizon.

"I come here every night." The words slipped from between her lips before she can think better of it. She mentally slapped herself for such a stupid comment and he let a small chuckle escape.

He looked genuinely entertained when she found the courage to look at him again, and she wasn't sure if she should feel proud or die of embarrassment.

"Yes, I'm aware. I've watched you come here every night." He said casually, and she choked slightly.

" _What?_ " She sputtered, indignant. Loki's smile stretched across his face in a way she couldn't exactly call comforting.

"I wasn't looking for you, Miss Foster. You just happen to pass my garden every night on your way here, but you already know that." His voice hung quiet and confident and she found herself blushing again, thinking it was stupid to expect that a  _demi_ _god_  wouldn't notice her passing his home every evening.

"And if I do? What's it to you?" She asked bravely, drawing herself up to her full height and Loki thought she looked like some kind of angry kitten - all talk and no action.

He motioned with one of his hands and with a blue flash he held a long black scarf. She realizes with a start that this is her scarf, she had thought she'd left it in observatory one night, but she hadn't been able to locate it.

"I'm merely curious as to why you continue to come here and wait for me night after night." He said in a haughty voice, the touch of wickedness back in his eyes. His smirk was almost too much for her to take because she had the mixed desire to slap it off his face and run her fingers over it.

"I wasn't, I mean, I'm not." She said defiantly, her expression set, willing herself to believe her words.

He simply nodded at her in a knowing way before stepping forward to wrap the thin fabric around her neck; she hardly let herself breathe from his proximity. When he steps back he gave her a small, sad smile.

"I am sorry to have kept you waiting for so long, Jane Foster." He spoke slowly, then with a flash of yellow light he was nowhere to be seen and has left Jane more confused than ever before.

It feels like her whole existence lately has been devoted to Loki and this thought terrifies and electrifies her. The feeling of Loki's body heat as he stood in front of her set her heart into another frenzy. She winced after a moment when Thor's face entered her mind.

"Lady Foster," Heimdall's deep and soft voice broke into her mild panic, "I wish to give you some advice, if I may?" He asked softly and she nodded at him, a smile on her lips because she finds Heimdall to be one of the very best in Asgard.

"In my experience it is always better to follow your heart rather than your head. It seems too often that others allow their thoughts to cloud their true emotions." He whispered cryptically and she thought that he must be able to read her mind.

This so-called advice does nothing to soothe the raging battle between her heart and her mind in the least.

.:.

Thor's boots clicked on the marble floor as he strode quickly down the south wing of the castle. He hadn't set foot this far in his home in over two years because of just how painful it truly was. The remembrance of Loki haunted every square inch of their former shared wing; his presence oozed from between the floor boards and seeped into the corners infecting all his memories in this place. When he squeezed his eyes shut he can still hear the song that he tied so greatly with his childhood. Loki's voice would always be comforting to him after that no matter what tone he used.

Thoughts flitted through his mind, searing more pain into his chest. He could see Loki's face, twisted in pain as the small piece of metal the Hulk had launched at him sank into his neck. The noise his brother had let out moments later had been the most gut wrenching sound Thor will ever hear. Suddenly it did not matter that Loki had tried to kill him or that he wasn't on his side; Loki would always be the brother Thor had loved for centuries.

"Stop!" Thor roared over the chaos, watching as the Hulk had launched towards Loki's twitching form. Blood was oozing from around the metal embedded in his throat. The Hulk wasn't listening, however, and Thor in a frenzied panic threw his hammer into the sky and brought it down hard, knocking the ground out from underneath the green giant's feet.

He ran to Loki's side, dropping to his knees and letting go of his hammer, his heart stopping at the sight of his brother's pale face. He knew he had only moments to get him back to Asgard before he would perish.

"Heimdall!" Thor's rough voice called in desperation, "Open the Bifrost!" He clutched Loki to his chest and in his peripheral vision he could see Nick Fury launching towards him. Blood was staining his skin as he felt tears slip from his eyes and fall onto Loki's chest.

"You can not take him off planet, Thor!" Fury yelled, "He's in federal custody now! He's a criminal!" He yelled, trying to forge a path through the destruction to where Thor was on his knees.

Loki was still convulsing in his thick arms. "Brother, brother, I am here, you will live to see another day!" He said feverishly, trying to will it to be true. "Thor, you cannot leave earth!" Fury yelled again and Thor felt his anger rise as the light from the Bifrost colored his cheeks. The hammer flew to his hand obediently as he looked over at Fury's angry expression.

"He is my brother and I will not allow today to be his last!" He roared, clutching his brother as they were sucked from the streets of New York back towards their home.

That had been the last time he had allowed himself any contact with Loki since they had returned. Thor was still angry with Loki, so angry that he couldn't see straight most of the time, but that didn't mean he loved the other man any less. They would be brothers forever, at least to Thor, no matter bloodlines. Loki had shaped almost every part of him and he wished he had listened to the sorcerer more often. It might have stopped all the destruction all together.

" _Sometimes I'm envious, but never doubt that I love you._ " Loki had spoken, sincerity laced with every word.

Thor couldn't help but think that if he hadn't been such a bigot perhaps Loki would be walking next to him, still smiling and teasing him about helmets and other such things. Thor wished with all his heart that someday these things would come to pass once more and he wouldn't make the mistake of taking them for granted ever again.

.:.

Frigga had seen many things in her years as queen of Asgard and wife of Odin, but nothing had surprised her as much as the mortal woman her son had brought from Midgard. She was certainly not as beautiful as many of the women on Asgard, but there was something about her that made the young creature so enchanting. Perhaps it was watching her fall in love with the beautiful planet that they all seemed to take for granted or perhaps it was her willingness and openness surrounding Loki.

Of course, her other son, (because that's what he would always remain: the son of a queen), was not exactly receptive. She wondered when he shifted from the curious, wide-eyed boy to the hardshell of a man that had caused so much damage. She bristled at the thought that perhaps Jane Foster was the best thing that had ever happened to him because everyone knows that Thor was planning on proposing to her, something that ensured she should not be spending dark nights alone with his brother.

However, Frigga also knows that Jane was not what Thor needs; she is too logical, too calm. They will end up fighting over Thor's hard-headedness. She knows that her son really had grown into her husband in miniature and if she were not the brave, adventurous woman she is, their marriage would have been doomed a long time ago. Jane is not the sort of woman that can sit at home, waiting on a man to come home to her; in fact, she thinks with a smirk, Jane would be the one leaving the man waiting at home while she went off on her own. She and Thor both loved adventure but for different reasons and in seeking differing outcomes.

She waited near the Midgardian's chambers, seeing her come in from an evening meal with Thor. She stepped out from the shadows where she had been waiting and Jane nearly jumps out of her skin. Frigga was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen and she wasn't too sure how she should greet this magnificent creature.

"Hello, Jane." The queen says kindly, a warm smile lining her stunning face. "You may call me 'ma'am' if you would like." She said, answering Jane's own question; she thought everyone on this planet must be mind readers or she was simply becoming way too easy to read.

"Hello, ma'am. Can - can I help you?" Jane asked, feeling stupid once again - a running theme when dealing with the royals of Asgard, she's noticed. The queen simply smiled brightly at the nervous girl standing in front of her.

"Jane, I know where you've been going every night." She said gently, but there was no hint of anger or malice upon her face and so Jane only felt herself having a minor heart attack at the fact that the queen of Asgard and the  _mother of her boyfriend_  is addressing the truth that she's been sneaking out like a teenager every night.

"I also understand why you find him so entrancing." Frigga said calmly, looking out the large castle windows, "Loki was always enchanting, even as a boy." Her tone had shifted to one filled with sadness and Jane understood that Loki, despite not being from her own flesh, was still her son and she still mourned for him.

"I was always finding him in this room, he used to say he wanted the best view of the stars." She says slowly, looking around Jane's large room, a sense of nostalgia around her. "Loki has always wanted somewhere to belong; someone to look at him before they look at Thor." Frigga concluded sadly, but Jane is still struggling to figure out what she's trying to say.

"Why do you wait for him night after night, child?" The queen asked after another somewhat uncomfortable pause. Jane contemplated this for a moment before answering Frigga in the best way she knows how.

"I'm not really sure. I guess it's because I don't have to  _think_  so much around him." Jane said heavily, looking out the window as well, "He allows me to just be, without worrying about answering questions correctly."

She reflected with surprise that this is exactly how she used to describe how she felt when she would sing. She felt more confused as she looked to the older woman.

"I'm not going to tell Thor about where you spent your nights, it is not my place. However, I will warn you about becoming attached to Loki. I can lead to unnecessary pain for both parties, especially if he were to become attached to you." Frigga said delicately, causing Jane to shake her head in denial.

"I'm not attached to him, and I highly doubt he even notices me when I'm there. I don't have any  _feelings_  for him or anything." She said quickly and Frigga just smiled knowingly before reaching out to take Jane's small hand in her own.

"We don't always get a say in where our heart decides to place it's attention." She patted Jane's hand once more before she stood to take leave. She gave Jane a small nod, causing the mortal woman to give her best smile under the circumstances.

She watched the queen retreat from her quarters and without even thinking about it, she made her way outside and down the familiar path to where he'd be, heart hammering and conscience anything but clear.

.:.

She felt a few tears slide down her face as she quickens her pace along the warn path, because she couldn't believe that she might have feelings for Loki. Of course, she also thought it a mere curiosity and not so much infatuation, still there was this overwhelming need to be near him and that need was what served to scare her most. Without the ability to think straight, she made a choice as to what she needed to do, what she'd always had to do in moments of great stress.

He heard her footsteps before she came into view and the sight of her did little to help him maintain composure and a lot to unhinge him. She looked tired, her hair falling around her face in a wavy mess and he can plainly see that she'd been crying. He didn't know how to handle this human woman being so thoroughly distraught in front of him. She didn't even stop to look at where he's sitting and instead makes her way to his white piano.

"What are you doing?" He asked, completely taken aback and her head snapped up as if she hasn't even noticed him until this moment. Her eyes appeared glassy and he stood quickly because this behavior was starting to alarm him and before now he had not fully realized that he might actually care about her.

"Have you ever just needed to- to just sing?" She asked her mind miles away and he simply nodded because on this he could relate to her. Without further ado her fingers lifted to the keys and the melody entered the air around him and he's transfixed.

He'd never heard the tune before, but it surrounded him in a familiar haunting way. She opened her mouth and all thoughts of lies and mischief leave him because he had never seen anything more beautiful than watching Jane sing. He could feel his heart contract, the sight before him almost painful to watch, as if that were some sacred moment for just her and he was standing there watching because he couldn't pull his eyes away.

" _For you, there'll be no more crying. For you, the sun will be shining, and I feel that when I'm with you, it's alright, I know it's right._ "

The words slip out perfectly and he let the song overwhelm him, as though burning through him. He could see the tears on her cheeks and he steps toward her, this open display of emotion affecting him much more than he would have liked. She continued playing through the song, over and over, four or five times until he knew the words too.

He slid onto the bench next to her and before he could even stop himself, he was singing with her, his own pain and emotion now entering their blended melody. His own memories filled his mind as the piano continues to play; memories of Thor and himself as children; memories of the day he had fallen from the Bifrost; memories of his mother singing to him as a boy; the look on Thor's face that day on earth when he was sure he was going to die; the memory of Jane's face that first night in his garden.

" _And I wish you all the love in the world, b_ _ut most of all, I wish it from myself._ "

After a moment she stopped playing and looked up to him, her eyes wide, before standing abruptly, her eyes still sparkling in the starlight from the residue of tears. Suddenly, a smile spread across her lips and she began to twirl around his garden and he decided that she was most assuredly mad. Yet, he still watched her spin around, as if the best melody played in the background and his own lips begin to twitch. Singing had set everything right for her.

Releasing all her emotions through singing had given her a feeling of complete clarity because for once she was allowed to just be. She grinned up toward the moon as she spun, not really noticing Loki's eyes on her. She was just so tired of worrying about her appearance and marriage and all the other things weighing on her mind so heavily lately. Her heart felt lighter as she spun, eyes bright and for once Loki felt just like a child.

He stood quickly, trying to figure out exactly what he was supposed to do with himself, but before he could move, she'd spun clumsily into him and he found himself holding her. Her heartbeats thud under his touch and for once she did what Heimdall advised her to do: she followed what her heart wanted.

She took Loki's hand in hers and stared up at him.

"Dance with me." She left no room for argument in her tone, and he wasn't really sure he could argue with her anyway.

He moved with her to a rhythm that wasn't really even in there, but he couldn't pay close attention anyway because her hair smelled like sunshine and her body was lightly pressed against his chest. He thought he might be able to understand how this human had done so much to change his brother. For one wild moment, he thought it would almost be a mistake to not make her his forever if given the chance.

Before she could stop herself, she was leaning into him, stopping them from dancing any further, with a feeling she couldn't even describe welling up inside of her. The sight of Loki being so  _free_  with her had sparked an emotion within her that she hadn't ever felt with such intensity before, and within the space of a few seconds she placed her mouth against his.

Loki froze under her lips, his mind spinning because her actions were, in all actuality, his first kiss. He relaxed after a few seconds and began to sync his lips against hers. Her lips felt fiery against his cool skin, but he liked the feverish sensation of her in his arms. He wonders if he could stay like this forever.

Jane comes to her senses too late, realizing this was her boyfriend's brother and also the silver-tongued prince Erik's books warned her about. She pulled away from him quickly, a hand raised over her mouth in shock. His eyes shone bright in the moonlight and he looks so vulnerable in that moment that it only breaks her heart further.

"I'm sorry." She said breathlessly before turning and running from his garden, small sobs escaping her lips the whole way back to the House of Odin.

.:.

"Well that wasn't precisely the outcome I foresaw," Odin's deep voice crept into Loki's mind from the edge of his garden. He curled his fist in anger; the last thing he needed right now was some sort of council with the All Father.

"What are you doing here?" He ground out, turning from where the man whom he'd believed was his father for so long stood. It caused him pain to even look at Odin, so instead he busied his hands with vanishing the piano into nothingness.

"I know you've been seeing Jane frequently; almost every evening." He speaks candidly, "Heimdall spoke to me about your interactions." Loki turned to look at his king, a dark look splashed across his handsome face.

"And what? Have you come to banish me? To punish me for something that I couldn't control?" He asked, anger and pain mixing in his tone, his memories lacing every breath he took in his crowded garden.

Odin looked at his son sadly, shaking his head. "Loki, you should never feel as if I would punish you because of something you love. You are  _my_ son, I want nothing more than to see you happy - I never have expected anything more than that." He spoke honestly, causing Loki to look at him with an incredulous expression.

"You believe that I love that mortal woman? She is Thor's betrothed, she has no place in my life." He spat vehemently, the thought of Jane's lips upon his own still fresh in his mind. His thoughts linger on her face with an expression of a mixture of shame and hurt.

The All Father sized up his son and after a moment he raised a question. "Why are you so open with Jane? More open than you have been with anyone else?" His question took the fallen prince by surprise and he turned around to contemplate his answer. He decided to phrase it in the only way he truly knows will convey his true meaning.

"She  _is_ magic. Her music and love of the stars and kindness." He said gently, "She feels like magic to me." He concluded, watching Odin closely. The king, however, did not say anything back to him, allowing the minutes to tick by in silence before at last opening his mouth.

"She has not yet agreed to marry your brother, and I do not believe she is his soulmate." Odin's words fall out cryptically and peak his attention, "Do not continue to close your heart off to what could be true happiness for the simple fear that it may lead to pain."

With that the All Father strode away from his son, who stood confused and heart broken in a garden filled with the smell of Jane lingering in his mind.

.:.

The tables for Thor's coming home feast were set and the guests had already begun to arrive. Dressed in his best armor for the festivities, his hammer clutched in his large hand, he felt only slightly nervous as he stood inside the great hall, taking in all the golden splendor around him and wondering why he should ever need to leave this realm ever again.

A flicker of gold caught his eye and he turned to see a beautiful woman entering the dinning hall, her raven dark hair pleated with gold. It was a transfixing sight and it took him a full minute to realize that it was Sif. The white dress she wore left little to the imagination and the thunderer found the air a little warmer than it had been a few moments before.

Meanwhile, Jane stood in her chambers, her fingers tracing the green of her dress. It was simple, a floor length number with golden trim. It suited her skin tone perfectly, but when she glanced into the mirror, all she could see was Loki's smirk and feel his hands on her as they spun through his garden without a care in the world.

She winced at the adulterous memory, trying to not linger on the fire Loki seemed to have set in her soul. She glanced at her reflection once more before she made her way into the hall, noticing Thor's line of sight lingered upon Sif, who in all fairness, looked rather stunning. She found herself even more confused but she suddenly didn't feel as guilty as she had previously.

She and Thor were seated on opposite ends of the table, but she could still see him, watching him carefully throughout the meal. He laughed and drank from his goblet and every so often his eyes would drift to where Sif sat, but occasionally his blue eyes would meet her own and she could not allow herself to keep looking at him, her heart clenching from pain. She continued to smile and speak politely to the guests of the All Father, her eyes constantly fogging over from frustration of being here.

At the end of the dinner she heard the clanking of glass and looked up to see Thor standing in front of the table, a broad smile lighting up his handsome face. He looked so content and at ease in front of all these people and she couldn't understand that. She was never one for a crowd, always shrinking back from judgement into a good book.

"Thank you, friends, family, and guests, for your kindness in welcoming me back to Asgard!" He began, lifting his goblet of wine into the air, and causing those around to chortle and raise their glasses also. "And I am glad to be home, but I'm also thankful for my experience on Midgard and all it taught me."

Jane felt her throat constricting, she was slowly piecing together what he was planing on doing. Surely not now, not so soon. Yet, he took the first few steps towards her, his face holding a tender look in her direction. She flinched only in the slightest as he made his way through the crowd.

"Jane Foster changed me, and I am here today, in front of all my friends and family to ask her to become mine forever." He dropped to one knee and it was almost comical, her eyes bulge and she had no idea how to handle this.

"Will you marry me, Jane?" He asked in a lower register, for her ears only. He looked so earnest and sincere but when she looked at him all she could think was " _Loki_."

She raised her eyes up and in the shadows she spotted him, complete with his golden helmet. His emerald eyes linger on her, a pained look on his face and she realized she couldn't say yes to Thor or Loki. She couldn't stay in Asgard; she couldn't tear this family apart anymore. She looked down at Thor and a tear slipped down her cheek.

"I can't, Thor." She pushed away from his stunned face and kicked off her heels, glancing once more towards Loki, wishing she could convey everything she wanted to say to him with one look. To thank him for giving her all he has and to express how sorry she was for what she'd done to him.

She turned and dashed out of the hall and on to the vast lawns, sprinting down the familiar path to Heimdall and the Bifrost. She ignored the calls of her name, she only allowed herself to feel the adrenaline to fuel her onward. She crashed into Heimdall, tears obscuring her vision, but he understands what she needed like always.

"You are a very wise woman, Lady Jane." He says kindly, "It may feel like the end right now, but it never truly is."

His words were the last thing she registers before the blinding light sucked her up and sent her on her way home.

.:.

Loki's heart thudded as he watched her leave and take every piece of his heart with her back to Earth.

* * *

Her body thudded into the ground so hard she swore she must have cracked at least three ribs, but she pushed the pain to the back of her mind, wincing as she stood to survey where Heimdall dumped her. The green dress was dusty from the New Mexico desert and luckily she landed fairly close to her lab, but she still had quite a walk home.

With every part of her aching, she sucked in a deep breath and began to stumble the path back toward all things familiar. Her chest burned out of both physical pain and the emotional blow of what she's just done. Jane had never run away from anything before, she had always stood her ground and been stubborn, but now she felt like a coward.

She could see the look on Thor's face, as though he were still in front of her, shock lining all of his rugged features, his blue eyes sparkling with confusion in the light of the golden hall. She knew that she was unfair in what she'd done, but she mostly she felt anger toward him for springing that question on her. They hardly knew each other at all, so what had he expected their marriage to be - Jane simply following him blindly? She was not that kind of woman - she craved adventure and change and beauty, and Thor could not give her those things if he were crowned king.

There was also the fact that her heart was broken into a million pieces for leaving Asgard. She refused to allow herself to think of the real reason she found herself heart broken, but that didn't mean she forgot gentle fingers on her back or the cool touch of lips upon her own. She was taken with the sudden and irrational urge to cry.

Her eyes darted up quickly at a sudden burst of light, she blinks, slightly blinded, until she heard a familiar voice utter her name.

"Jane, what the hell are you doing out here? It's like asking to be raped." Darcy's sarcastic tone reached her ears and she smiled broadly.

After a few moments, Erik's head popped up behind Darcy's; he looked tired and perhaps a bit stern, but he just sort of nodded at her in a knowing way and reached out to pull her into the warm van. Jane sighed in relief as she settled into one of the seats.

She knew that tomorrow she'd have to tell them where she'd been and she'd have to face the repercussions of what she'd done, but for that moment, she exhaled deeply because she was home at last.

.:.

Frigga had been a mother for a very long time, and she liked to think that she was rather adept at handling her two boys until Thor's banishment set so many terrible things into motion. She knew she should not have spoiled her sons so thoroughly, as it seems to have done nothing but cause bitterness in one and pridefulness in the other. She realized also that Jane Foster was the first thing to ever cure both boys of the less wanted parts of their personalities.

She had listened as Thor originally told her about Jane - about how kind she was and how intelligent this mortal woman proved to be. Thor spoke of nothing but Jane, not once mentioning himself or his own experience beyond this woman, which struck Frigga as a significant change. Thor's entire mentality had shifted since his return and Frigga truly felt that Jane had sparked it.

Then Jane came to Asgard and her entire focus shifted to Loki with more intensity than Frigga believed was possible within a mortal. Jane watched Loki gently, her eyes tracing his outline with pure interest and such sadness that Heimdall was even moved by the Midgardian. Loki in return had become interested in her, Frigga had watched him closely since his return to Asgard, but she was also his mother and could tell when her son was happy. Jane gave him his first taste of happiness in quite some time.

Her feet were tracing the worn path down to the forest - a path she had not walked in many years. The sight of her youngest son's home did nothing but reassure her, as it was not destroyed or on fire, as anything was really possible where Loki was concerned. She saw him sitting in the garden, merely staring at the piano. His expression was blank, a trick he had learned as a young child.

"Your majesty, to what do I owe this visit?" The slender man's cold voice sounded foreign to her, as though the inner Frost Giant was speaking to her and not the curious little boy she remembered with such fondness.

"You are my son, Loki, do not treat me merely as a ruler and not a mother." She said sternly, her gaze on him sharp, but he only bristled slightly, looking up to her after a few moments, but his expression almost knocked her breathless.

Loki, the silver tongue, looked nothing more than completely lost.

"Oh, Loki," She said gently, stepping toward him, "It is okay to miss her, just as it is okay to love her." Her words fall smoothly and soothing, but he did not seem to take them as such and instead his face is contorted in anger and pain for what she has said.

Loki had spent days trying to forget about the mortal woman, because she was merely a tiny fragment of his endless existence, so why should he not just let her go? She had not been the most beautiful woman, nor the most intelligent that he had ever met, but there was something about her. He knew in his core that what made her different was her utter  _kindness_  towards him. She was the first person to really take the time to look at just Loki and not the agent of chaos many believed him to be. She made him feel like all he was and all he had been was not destined to stay a monster forever. He both hated Jane and himself for this.

"I do not love her, mother." He said, and the words seemed to burn as they slip off his tongue, the lie so ill concealed that even the daftest of Asgardians wouldn't believe it. Frigga shook her head, looking around Loki's garden at his beautiful flowers - his magic could produce beautiful and terrible things, something that she wasn't sure he'd noticed fully yet.

"And why is that?" She asked delicately, causing him to push away from the piano violently and pace around the garden, his face contorted with hurt. He wrung his hands, thinking about how he would answer her.

Loki thought back to all the moments he spent with Jane, especially how warm she felt compared to his icy body. The fact that she had not been afraid of him and she had not condemned him as so many of those around him had spoke volumes to him. Jane had not eradicated the chaos in his chest, but she had forced him to see that sometimes there were greater things in the universe than random happenstances.

"She is Thor's. That was decided some time ago." He finally ground out, the truth behind these words causing another hole to be punched in his chest.

"She left, there is no point left in caring for her." He spat out, but Frigga placed one small hand on his shoulder. She felt great sadness for her son, but also hope for him. Knowing that he was still capable of love washed relief over her. Perhaps he was not so far gone into the dark magic that he had forgotten what it meant to feel.

"Everything happens for a reason, my child." She said slowly, causing him to glance up at her. "Jane did not agree to marry Thor; therefore she is no more Thor's than is the ability to produce so much as a feather." She smiled, causing Loki to smirk at Thor's inability at sorcery. "Jane Foster is not a woman to be commanded, and your brother, I don't believe, understands this just yet."

Frigga sighed softly turning away from Loki for a moment to glance into the sunset, her exquisite face taking in the warmth of the sun.

"She left Asgard and Thor, but I do not believe she wanted to leave  _you_." She spoke honestly, kissing Loki's forehead softly as though he was a small boy.

And though he wishes he didn't, the prince could not help but feel hope at her words.

.:.

Sif had spent much of her existence watching Thor; she had seen him at his very best and his very worst. She had known him in times of war and times of peace, and so Sif felt she was a reasonable authority on judging Thor's emotions. After Jane left Asgard, Thor had not withdrawn or become more agitated - he carried on with his life as he always did. He attended training in the morning with the Warriors Three, though none of them were brave enough to ask him how he was doing. Sif had the distinct advantage of being a woman and she knew how to go about these matters in a more delicate way.

It took three days to really let her curiosity get the better of her, but one morning as she watched him spar with Hogun she felt the desire to know the truth overwhelm her more sensitive thoughts. She cared deeply for Thor, more than she'd like to admit most days, but the idea of him being heartbroken only breaks her own heart, and that compelled her to step toward him after his morning training was completed.

"Good morning, Sif." He said, panting slightly, his long hair drawn away from his face as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"How are you, Thor?" She asked, thinking that it was probably best just to get the question over with. For a moment she felt certain he was going to yell at her, but then his expression softened and he gave her a small shrug and a slight smile.

"I am well, Sif. I admit, you are the first to ask me." Sif smiled a little at the fact that he hadn't tried to deflect her question. He did not look terribly heartbroken to her, but he didn't seem to be exactly himself either.

"Why do you think she left?" She plunged recklessly on, looking up at the taller man and he looked over at her, obviously caught off guard by this question, perhaps he did not believe anyone would be crazy enough to ask it.

Thor took a moment to just look at Sif and wonder when she came so incredibly wise as well as brave. He'd never met another woman like her, though he had once thought that Jane was quite similar to Sif - he now realized how utterly  _stupid_  that had been. Jane and Sif were different in the best way, because where Jane loved the stars and knowledge, Sif loved battle and adrenaline. Something stirred in the back of Thor's mind briefly, but he pushed himself past it.

"I cannot say, but perhaps there was someone else who claimed her heart before I could." He said gently, looking out across the bright sky, the beauty of Asgard never failed to impress him. He heard Sif sigh next to him, her own eyes resting on the horizon.

"Someone else? But who?" She asked, her own curiosity causing her to speak so candidly - she regretted it almost instantaneously, but Thor does not seem too much affected by this line of inquiry. Instead he looked pensive as though he'd given this much thought to no avail.

He ran one large hand through his golden locks of hair, his eyes closed, and for a moment Sif's composure slips as she watched the man that she had known for so long be completely comfortable next to her. She thought that it's always been foolish - how much she's cared for him, but sometimes you didn't get a choice in these things and some days she wasn't sure she would have wanted one to begin with anyway.

"I do not know; Jane's whereabouts were constantly a mystery to me." He said, her name only hurting a little.

His answer seemed lackluster and Sif was struck with a sudden thought. She turned to look him square in the face and found no trace of being love sick and instead only a slight irritation lines his brow. She smirked a little and asked another question.

"Are you sure that it wasn't simply your pride that was hurt by her return to Midgard?" His eyebrows shot up and his face would be comical if it wasn't such a serious question. After a moment of being shocked, he cocked his head to contemplate her quip more fully. It took him a few seconds to get all of his thoughts in order before looking up at Sif's concerned expression.

Her words had struck him, because he hadn't allowed himself to blame anyone but Jane for her leaving, but now he thought perhaps he had condemned her too quickly after all.

.:.

Life on Earth was as much as she remembered it to be - hectic and full of blissfully ordinary people. Still, Jane could not simply forget and carry on after only a week of being back in her lab with Erik and Darcy and all her familiar belongings. She felt as though life would never get back to normal around her. Every morning she woke up, she could see his face and every night she went to sleep she could hear his lullaby. Loki was around her everywhere she looked and she hated her overactive imagination for it.

She had only told Eric and Darcy the basics of why she had returned home, saying that she felt too rushed into marriage and she needed a clear head. Of course this wasn't a  _lie_  per se, but she couldn't bring herself to cause her heart more pain by discussing the real reason she wasn't making wedding plans instead of sketching the stars right now.

Her seat on the roof had not been moved since she'd last seen it and for this she was thankful. She pulled her favorite quilt around her and sat to stargaze, feeling slightly sad that the stars she was looking at were so familiar. She missed the chance to observe a completely different part of their extensive universe so fully. She heard familiar footsteps coming up behind her and she turned to see Erik, feeling a slight sense of comfort at having him around. He had become such a father figure to her that she couldn't imagine her life without him.

He sighed before sitting next to her, his lined face holding an expression laced with concern and sincerity. She sighed, too, because she knew that she was going to have to come clean - about Asgard, about Loki, about her stupid choices. She put her book down and looked over to him patiently awaiting the question she knew was coming.

"Jane, I've known you for a long time and I've never seen you this way before. It's like all the light in you has gone out." Erik said gently, his eyes heavy from lack of sleep and worry for the young woman sitting to the right of him.

Jane sighed once more softly and looked over at the dark stretch of sky that had become just familiar to her as the back of her hand.

"Erik, I messed everything up." She choked out, trying not to allow herself to cry. "I was supposed to end up with Thor, god, and then  _he_ just came along and like all the stories said, created chaos." Jane's voice shook with the last few words, but Erik was unsure whether it was anger causing her dismay or perhaps just genuine sadness.

"Who is 'he,' Jane?" Erik asked with the sinking feeling that he already knew the name before it slipped from her tongue.

"Loki." She whispered after a few minutes, drawing her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around herself. Erik looked at her sadly; in the months that Thor had been gone, he had assumed that he had seen Jane heartbroken, now he realized how foolish that assumption had been. This was Jane at her worst; she suddenly reminded him of that little girl who hadn't understood why her parents were no longer there one day when she got home from school. Erik rubbed a hand over her back, his warmth soothing her somewhat.

"You really love him don't you?" Erik asked, not unkindly, but not in a happy manner either. Jane didn't trust her own voice and so she nodded, her eyes glossy with the tears that she had refused to cry since she had returned to New Mexico. It seemed that her heart would no longer listen to her and suddenly she was sobbing, knowing that she must look terribly pathetic, but not bringing herself to care.

"Jane we can't help these things, love isn't... well it isn't science. It doesn't always make sense." He spoke calmly, and it struck Jane that Erik always knew what to say to her. She allowed a small smile to lace her cheeks through her tears and raised her arms to hug the older man.

"It's going to turn out all right, in the end." Erik said reassuringly, patting her on the back, only half believing his own words.

.:.

Thor was unused to being summoned to his mother's chambers; he hadn't been in that part of their home in quite sometime- his mother was usually in his father's chambers or on the grounds. It felt odd to walk these halls as a grown man. Halls that had once echoed with the laughter of two young boys undoubtably up to no good. He could still remember the smell of the warm autumn air flowing in the open halls on his walks to see Frigga.

When the servant had come to tell him that his mother sought a council with him, he had been slightly taken aback. Generally his mother did not meddle in his life, considering he was a man now, usually she sent Odin to speak to her sons. Of course that term had been reduced to singular form over the past few months, but still he assumed it was the protocol from now on.

His boots clicked on the hard floor as he made his way into Frigga's den, where he found his beautiful mother sitting next to the window, overlooking all of Asgard with a smile on her kind features. Her delicate hands tapping gently at her sides as she awaited her eldest son to enter. Thor made towards her, his mouth opening to greet his mother, but she turned toward him, apprehension detailing her expression.

"Thor." She said quietly but firmly, something that gave him a warning this may not prove a pleasant conversation. The thunderer nodded, moving closer to the familiar aura of Frigga; she was always the best at comforting him. Thor knew what she sought to discuss and looked up at her with a confused brow.

"I do not know why Jane left, mother." He said earnestly, but Frigga just allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips. She did not enjoy causing others distress or grief, especially not her own son. However, Thor had a right to know the truth, and he had to know the truth if things were ever going to get back on track for how they were supposed to be.

"I do." She spoke honestly, and Thor, who had not been expecting this answer, turned his head quickly to look up at her. "Jane did not tell you where she spent the majority of her time, I presume?" She asked him softly, and he shook his head, still intently listening to what she has to offer to him. "She spent many nights in the observatory," She paused for the deep breath before the plunge, "With Loki."

Thor felt his entire brain skid to a halt, his heart freezing like he has just set foot into the chilly climate of Jotunheim. He couldn't understand how, let alone  _why_ , Jane would have spent so much of her time with Loki unless under some sort of spell. However, in the back of his mind he had to admit what Frigga was saying made sense. Jane and Loki were similar creatures, but why had that caused her to return to Midgard? His head began to ache from all the questions that still remained unanswered.

"I think that the reason she left might be explained by her falling in love with your brother." Frigga said less delicately, wishing she could soften this blow a little more, but knowing that it was for the best that she be blunt about it. Thor sat abruptly, his face full of surprise and possible anger.

"Are you sure that he did not force her to leave?" Thor asked suddenly, "That he had not placed her under some spell?"

Frigga knew to expect this and merely shook her head, glancing up to her beautiful son, wondering when he had become such a man.

"I cannot answer those questions," She said after a pregnant pause, "but I think you know who can." Thor was struck by this, because he wasn't sure if he had the courage in him to face Loki once more. Everything was so distorted and confused and sometimes Thor wished to just ignore it all. He sighed, standing slowly, gazing out at the fading light from the sun.

"Thor," His mother said quietly, causing him to turn and look at her with interest, "It would serve you well to remember that Loki's heart was not left whole when she left, either." She spoke softly and Thor furrowed his brow.

"I still do not understand why he spent time with her." The handsome man voiced several moments later, true curiosity lining his statement and Frigga gave him a sad smile, cupping his cheek in her small hand.

"Perhaps Loki simply wanted some happiness after spending so many years in the shadows, does this seem implausible to you?" She asked rhetorically, before she leaned on the top of her toes to kiss his warm forehead.

Thor would hear these words echoed in his mind for the next few days and they would do nothing to answer the swell of burning questions that still echo in his thoughts. He was certain of only one thing: he must go and see Jane.

.:.

Heimdall was not unaccustomed to seeing unusual patrons come and go in the observatory, but he was never usually surprised by it. He could see many things, but that did not mean everything and so the sight of Loki hunched over at a small table in the vast observatory sent the smallest wave of shock in him. He had not seen the fallen prince since Jane had returned to her own realm. Of course, Heimdall  _could_  see why Loki had not returned to this place since then - someone without his gifts could even see this.

The slender man was staring into the universe, his eyes light years away. The pen clutched in his hand had not made contact with the large book under his other palm, almost as if he'd forgotten about either object. Heimdall had never seen Loki look so vulnerable, and though he knew it was not his place, he opened his mouth to speak.

"I can see her; I watch her often." His rough voice echoed around the room, and though the other man did not turn toward him, Heimdall knew that he was curious. His grip on the pen tightened as he bowed his head somewhat.

Loki tried to find Heimdall's words comforting, but somehow all they manage to do is knock another hole where his heart used to be. He closed his eyes and could see Jane's face perfectly, and though it pained him, he looked to the gatekeeper and asked, "How is she?" in the smallest voice he'd ever allowed to escape him.

Heimdall could not repress the slight smile he felt upon hearing Loki's concern for the mortal woman. In all of his years spent as gatekeeper, he'd never known Loki to truly care about anyone other than himself. Now, as he gazed upon this broken and lost man, he sensed that perhaps it was not a coincidence that Jane had come to Asgard.

"A cloud of great sorrow lingers over her," He said honestly. Carefully he gaged the younger man's reaction before adding, "She misses you greatly, liesmith."

It was the first time Heimdall had allowed such sentimentality to exist between himself and the second son of Odin, but after all the millennia they had known each other, perhaps it was time for this to pass.

Loki's lungs contracted with an emotion he could not place a name to, however he stood uncomfortably, for the first time, he was not entirely sure of what he was supposed to do with himself. He left the golden room, feeling a little more peace settle over the war ragingly in his mind and heart - a song echoing on his lips that sounded quite similar to the tune Jane had sung with him in his garden all those nights ago.

.:.

In the end it took Thor three days to summon the courage to even walk toward the observatory, but when he had finally made his mind up, he found the journey to Heimdall did not take near as long as it used to feel. His horse skidded to a stop, and for the briefest of moments, the so-called god of thunder wanted nothing more than to run away and never come back. He envied mortals because they can live everyday blissfully unaware of such things as Frost Giants and magical realms. Sometimes he got tired of being himself - of course, if he could see others more clearly, he'd notice that everyone gets tired of themselves at some point.

"You wish to travel to Midgard." Heimdall stated, omnipotent as ever. "You will find her in the same place as your last visit." He said carefully, making his way to the bridge, his sword glinting in the light emitted from the Bifrost. Thor sucked in a deep breath before thanking the gatekeeper. He had only a moment to blink before he was enveloped in light and sucked into the the worm hole that will take him back to Earth.

He'd gotten a lot better at landing from all his trips to and from Midgard, but he'd never get used to just how  _hard_  the dirt felt under his boots. He had shed his armor and cape for a more appropriate Midgardian look, but still he felt slightly uncomfortable in the dark jeans and plain light blue shirt. His hands felt bare without Mjolnir, but he felt it would seem slightly pretentious to take his faithful hammer with him this time.

It was easy to find her, it wasn't like there was a vast area of land to cover, but still, going to her lab knocked him with a heavy sense of deja vu. He could see her through the windows, she was paler than he remembered, her expression full of sadness and Thor wondered how all of this had fallen into place so horribly.

The knock on the door caused her head to snap up and quickly drop the book she had been holding previously. She looked as though she had seen a ghost, and for all intents and purposes, she might as well have. She was sure that she was done with that entire world, that she had left it behind along with her shoes and heart in Odin's hall. It seems that she was terribly mistaken as far as that line of thinking was concerned.

Her hands were shaking as she pulled the door open to see Thor in his casual attire, his light eyes take all of her in and he was sure she had become much too thin. He took a tentative step in while her jaw was still dropped at the sight of him. He chuckled despite himself, because Thor had never been one for seriousness, his blue eyes are always dancing with some joke or another and that was probably why most people always preferred him to the serious sense of play that always seemed to linger around Loki.

"Thor, what - What are you doing here?" The question slipped out before she can even think about stopping it, but he just smiled lightly at her, because he didn't blame her for asking such a basic question.

"I wanted to come tell you that I've spoken with my mother and I know... about your interactions with my brother." She winced slightly because that was definitely not how she wanted him to find out; then again, she hadn't wanted him to find out at all. He didn't look angry though, perhaps a bit wary, but not angry.

"I won't say I'm sorry that I met him, but I am sorry I hurt you." She said after a few moments, her voice hitched as she thought of Asgard and all it had given, and taken, from her. She made her way to the table still holding her cup of coffee and took a seat. Thor followed her, his eyes full of understanding as he sat across from her.

"Why did you spend so much time with my brother?" Thor asked, because if he was being honest, he felt he deserved the right to know what made Loki so different, so much so that she had run from Asgard as though scorned.

Jane turned her face from his, because she really didn't want to cry  _again,_  but she can feel the tears welling up in her eyes. She glanced back to Thor.

"I... he was just music and stars and  _magic_  to me." She knew it was probably the worst explanation in the history of explanations, but she didn't really know how to explain it any further.

Thor sat back and allowed this thought to sink in, because for some reason what she has just said makes sense. Loki was always one for logic and science and Thor had never seen the true appeal; he saw now why his brother would have been drawn to a woman so intelligent and interesting as Jane. He watched as she ran a hand through her long hair and he could see the despair on her face. He wished that none of it had fallen on her.

"Why do you still call him your brother?" Jane asked softly after a long silence that seemed to be suffocating her. Her hands twisted in knots with each other as she looked at him cautiously.

Though not expected, Thor opened his mouth to answer her question easily.

"Because he was raised an Asgardian and there was one point when all he knew was the bonds of brotherhood." Thor allowed the smallest of sad smiles to dance across his features, "I will always love him as a brother, no matter how much he doubts me."

He spoke with finality that made her heart clench. Why had she ever thought going to Asgard was a good idea? She had merely managed to mess up everyone lives even more. A deep sigh was her only means of releasing her anguish.

Thor tried to understand what had caused Jane to change so much - why her laugh lines had disappeared and how her cheeks had grown so hollow. Her pale complexion and shift in personality reminded him of someone else - someone who had once been his closest friend and most trusted confidant. He stretched one of his huge hands across the table to grasp Jane's slender fingers.

"I came to see you to tell you that I am not upset by what happened between yourself and my brother. It was foolish to bring you to Asgard and to expect you to agree to marry me. I understand now how different our customs are compared to yours, and for that I am sorry." He said it all slowly, like he had sincerely thought long and hard about what to say to her, and really, he probably had.

She wanted to cry all over again.

"Do not give up hope, Jane Foster. My brother did not escape your time together untouched either." His words hit her and she looked up at him.

For the first time since she came home she felt like maybe, just maybe, everything would be okay.

.:.

It felt too odd to walk back across the wide, sloping laws in front of his childhood home. He could smell the wonderful scent of the trees and flowers and of Asgard. Loki had never really been one for doing anything for anyone else but himself, and in a way he wasn't  _really_ breaking that tradition as he makes his way to where he could see Sif training alone. He had known the female warrior for quite a long time, and though he'd done his share of mischievous things to her, she'd never outright dismissed him the way the Warriors Three had. Of course, he knew that she had not held her tongue out of kindness for him, but because she'd been in love with Thor since they were much younger.

Sif didn't hear him approach, but it was rare that anyone could. His boot clad feet move swiftly toward his target, still unsuspectingly swinging her weapon mid air. He caught one of her blows with his own conjured sword, smirking in that mischievous way that was always about him. She sighed, slightly irritated, before laying her weapon down and wiping her brow.

"What do you want, Liesmith?" She spat out, but her expression held curiosity instead of any real malice. He knew that she would want to know why he was seeking her out - it was in Sif's nature to be curious.

"I know that you love my brother. You always have." He said bluntly, his eyes alight with some mix of malice and laughter. She rolled her eyes because it had been a long time since Sif really  _feared_ Loki.

"And I know that Jane left because she loves you." She shot back, catching him slightly off guard. He shot her a quizzical look for several reasons, but mostly because she had not denied his accusations. Of course, it would be foolish of her to, considering everyone in Asgard, save Thor, could see where her heart belonged.

"I was not aware that you were a dear confidant of Jane Foster during her time on Asgard." He prompted, his eyes flashing with the red that had for so long lain dormant. Sif rolled her dark eyes again and gave him a patronizing look.

"Oh please, I know unrequited love when I see it." Her voice sounded far away, but then she snapped back to look at him.

Sif studied the man opposite her carefully and with a sudden realization she looked at him in shock and slight laughter.

"Unless... Unless it's not unrequited - and it isn't, is it?" She actually let loose a small laugh, "You love her - the mortal."

"Jane." He corrected before he could stop himself and then winced a little at his sentimentality. He was becoming irritatingly see through, and to someone who valued his secrecy and mystery, it was turning into a very frustrating matter, indeed. Sif's eyes, however, sparkled with some unforeseen emotion.

"You know, I still think you're a no good snake," She spoke after a slight awkward pause, "But that doesn't mean I think you deserve to be alone forever." With mirth shining in her eyes, hiding just the smallest sense of sincerity, she turned from him and began walking away.

Loki gritted his teeth and felt like transforming her into a toad or some other unpleasant creature; however, he instead stood, her words echoing in his mind, and for just a breath of a second he wondered if maybe she could be right after all.

.:.

As Loki rounded one of his long used short cuts around the landscape of the garden, his mind still full of half wishes to cut Sif's hair off again and half wondering what she had meant by saying he shouldn't be alone, he slammed right into a thick something. The mischief god swore loudly, and then louder again once he realized that he had slammed into something much worse than a door or wall.

Thor's broad chest had proved no match against the slender man now lying on the ground.

Loki took that moment to curse the universe for this unfortunate meeting with the one person he had successfully avoided since returning to Asgard. Though he was naïve to the fact that Thor had been the reason he wasn't in some holding cell on Midgard, Loki still knew that there was some reason that Thor had avoided him just as thoroughly. However, the younger brother was in no state to discuss things.

"Brother." Thor spoke in a tone more riddled with shock than any actual sibilance of greeting. It may have been silly, but Thor was struck by how much Loki had remained the same - the only difference was the scar that now peaked over the top of his dark shirt.

"Your highness." Loki spoke bitterly, pushing himself to his feet, intent on walking past the blond man looking remarkably like a puppy in front of him, but Thor reached out and grabbed Loki's sleeve in a sort of desperation.

Thor's blue eyes seemed even more pathetic than they had in years past, "Loki, do not do this." He urged, and Loki was suddenly hit with a slight measure of irritation - he feared a headache would soon be upon him.

"Do what, your highness? Address you by your proper title?" It was a snappish response, and admittedly, not one of his best, but the look on Thor's face told Loki that his words had done just what he had intended.

"You  _are_  my brother. I do not care if you are not of the same flesh as me - it makes no difference-" But Loki was incredibly tired of hearing this over and over again, he did not take well to pity nor did he wish to pretend like everyone else around him that being a Jotun was  _perfectly acceptable._ He'd spent his life listening to Odin's tales of the evil frost giants; had heard too many mothers warn their children about those cruel beings from Jotunheim; witnessed Thor's own absolute contempt for the entire race that his alleged "brother" now had to claim as his heritage.

"Do  _not_  say things which you do not mean, sire," He bites back angrily, "I am no more your brother than I am Odin's son. Do not pretend that nothing has transpired between us. I am aware of what actions I have committed and what ramifications I have reaped."

Loki's silver tongue was almost visibly poisonous, but Thor stood defiant, his arms crossed over his chest, stubborn heart refusing to yield to his brother's harsh words.

"As am I, Liesmith, for if you have forgotten, it was I that pulled you from Midgard and brought you here to be safely healed." He spoke suddenly, his slight temper getting the better of him.

Loki froze and gazed at the brother in front of him, mind reeling with the knowledge of this. How could this have happened and him remained unawares?

Thor took in the look on his brother's face and allowed an confused look to overtake his own.

"Do you mean to say that you did not know?" Though Thor was not renowned for his ability to place trust in the right people, he knew that this time Loki was not trying to trick him, he had simply been ignorant.

"I could not allow you to die on that planet, because you are my brother. I am sorry that the All Father withheld such terrible information from you for so long, but believe me, brother, when I say it will never matter to me who spawned you as long as you remain on Asgard." Thor's words did not fall on deaf ears because for the second time in his entire existence, Loki felt that everything he had been so sure of was now flipped over and unfamiliar.

The so-called god of mischief, or lies, or even chaos depending on his mood during certain days, felt like a blind man stumbling in the darkness, trying to understand how everything had led to where he stood now. He sat quickly on the nearest bench, his head falling in his hands. He had never particularly found Thor to be a hard man to read, but now the sorcerer was at an utter loss to comprehend how Thor could so easily and so readily forgive him.

"We all make mistakes, and I would be the most hypocritical fool to condemn you for your actions considering not only the way I have treated you, but how I have allowed others to treat you also." Thor spoke, guilt still lacing his tone, but he watched as Loki looked up, surprise illuminating his angular features.

"If you can forgive me, I can most certainly forgive you." The elder of the brothers concluded, his tone honest and earnest. The younger brother looked to this person in front of him and wondered when his brother had grown up so much - it seemed that Thor had finally figured out what it was to be a man; for the first time Loki saw Thor as a king in the making and no longer a pestilent child.

With some hesitation Loki nodded, not trusting his voice.

After a few moments of awkward silence, Thor found the strength to address the next topic that needed to be resolved. He took a deep breath before plunging on.

"Mother informed me that Jane spent most of her time here with you - please tell me you did not turn her against me." He looked up to his brother's pained expression.

"Jane and I," The words seemed to burn in his throat, "Never spoke of you once. I no longer desire to thwart your happiness." It was an honest answer, and Thor nodded.

"And what of your happiness?"

The question seemed relatively harmless but Loki quirked one eyebrow and looked at his brother.

"I hardly see why that should be relevant."

Thor didn't like the cold in Loki's answer, it reminded him too much of a frost giant and not of the man that Loki could be if he so desired.

"Because you deserve to be happy just as much as I." Thor's tone was one of finality, "And if it is Jane that gives you such happiness, you should not deprive her or yourself of that. Jane is a woman who deserves the very best and if it is you her heart has chosen, I expect you to treat her with kindness."

Loki felt oddly as though this was a strange father-son discussion; not in all the time they'd been together had he heard his brother spout such wisdom.

"I will not disappoint you." Loki said finally, his heart at last beating out his mind in deciding on the next step. "However, perhaps it would serve in your best interest to take your own advice and not keep a lady waiting."

Thor watched as his brother gave him a wide smirk and pointed over his broad shoulder to where Sif stood speaking to Hogun, neither one noticing the reunion of the two princes of Asgard.

Thor grinned his dopey grin that made him easier to recognize to Loki, while the latter man struggled with the idea of returning to Jane and all that could go horribly wrong or fantastically right. Though he was not a being who generally allowed his heart to be so completely exposed, with one last glance to the older brother, he made an about face with determination in his eyes and hope in his heart.

.:.

Jane Foster sat, unsuspectingly sipping her tea, one hand clinging to the mug for warmth, the other holding the fleece blanket around her shoulders. It was another night spent under the stars, one among the literal thousands she'd experienced thus far in her life. The only thing that set this night apart from all the others was the bright flash of light that briefly lit up the horizon in a blinding manner.

Jane, however, knew what that flash of light signified, so she dropped her ill-fated mug and clambered to her feet.

Erik had gone to sleep hours before and Darcy was out with her new boyfriend, but Jane was not looking for company. She knew it was something she had to face alone. For the first time in days, hope swelled within her so abruptly that it almost suffocated her. She made her way to her van quickly, eyes locked on the road as she prayed the entire way to the source of the light. If she could have seen Heimdall's face, she would have been struck by seeing such a stoic man smiling so thoroughly.

Loki would always hate the landings that came with traveling via the Bifrost, but the pain was pushed to the back of his mind almost immediately as she stood, looking around the barren desert. He could tell he was in the same place he had landed last time, the air was dryer and the night was cooler, but New Mexico was a pretty hard place to forget.

He felt heavier, it had been quite sometime since he had worn his Asgardian best, the green cape trailing the ground and his helmet gleaming in the moonlight. He'd never felt more powerful than he did just in that moment, before he took his first steps back toward the familiar and tiny town.

Jane's hands shook on the wheel, not making for the most stellar driving, but it didn't take her long to spot someone in the distance, long horns emerging from the person's head. As she approached her target, she realized that it was a helmet. Her foot hit the brake in a frenzied panic that was slightly hysterical. As she leapt from the van she found her foot caught on the door and the sensation of the ground quickly approaching her, until a set of firm arms caught her.

If she hadn't been convinced it was all a dream, she probably would have fainted from the sight of Loki holding her in the dark desert night. She was taken aback by seeing him in his traditional armor; no picture in a children's book could have ever prepared her for what the actual sight of him in front of her would do to her poor mortal body.

"Loki." She breathed after a moment, her eyes widening. He couldn't help but give her a slight smirk, because she was so predictably  _Jane_. "What... are you doing here?" She asked after her surprise had finally begun to wear off. " _How_  did you even get here?"

He released her and stood straight back, inclining his helmet-clad head at her.

"I have come to offer you my deepest apologies for what occurred on Asgard. I used my knowledge of pathways off Asgard to come and speak with you."

Jane tried to process this information but she found herself unable to see his point.

"It was cruel of me to stand in the way of my brother and your happiness." He said slowly, and if Jane had been looking more closely, she would have recognized the gleam of mischief in his eyes. However, Jane did not see this glimmer and instead felt herself becoming more angry with each passing moment.

"I should not have allowed you to become so close to me."

Jane let her drop slightly for the briefest of a second before she straightened herself up, a dangerous flash in her eyes.

"Oh you are not going to pin everything that has happened on  _me_ , Loki Liesmith. I never wanted to meet you! I wanted to marry Thor-" She began hotly, until Loki's cool voice cut her off.

"Is that so? Then why refuse my brother's proposal?" He asked, his expression neutral, idly examining his own fingers. Jane wanted to slap him.

"Because I  _did_  meet you! I met you and you showed me magic and the universe and now I can't get you out of my head!" She yelled angrily, her voice raising an octave with every word. He raised an eyebrow at the small mortal woman.

"I fail to understand why this should stand in your way of joining Thor in holy matrimony." He spoke bluntly, until Jane did push him in anger.

"Don't you see! Because I fell in love with your stupid song! I fell in love with the way you look at the stars! Every moment I spent with you, I fell out of love with Thor and into love with you." She was laying everything out for him very nicely and as was his fashion, while Loki was revealing nothing in return.

"Then why not stop spending time with me?" He asked quickly looking down at her, watching as she wrung her hands in a mixture of nerves and irritation at the man standing in front of her.

"I just... couldn't." She said after a few moments of thinking, "You were fascinating. I'm a scientist and I-I wanted to understand you." She offered truthfully, her eyes dropping to the dusty ground, embarrassed that she has just admitted this.

"You developed a romantic interest in me for science?" He asked, his eyes alight with the thrill of this game until, he realized that her eyes were sparkling with tears. Jane had gone from anger to sadness and he wasn't sure how he missed that transition.

"No! God, I  _know_ you feel, Loki! You can't pretend not to care anymore! I knew you cared from the moment we kissed in that stupid garden! So why can't you just admit it?" She asked, her words becoming sobs from all the weeks she had kept all this held within her small frame.

Loki was entirely out of his depth, he'd never been one to be a shoulder to cry on, seeing as he was the usually the one causing the tears. He reached out a hand to stroke her cheek and did the only thing he could think of to stop her tears.

" _For you, there'll be no more crying. For you, the sun will be shining. And I feel that when I'm with you, it's all right - I know it's right._ " His voice recalled the familiar song easily, he had always possessed an incredible memory.

"I should not have allowed anything to happen," Loki said in a soft voice after a moment, no malice or mischief left in his tone. "My brother loved you." He allowed his gaze to fall, but Jane reaches a hand out to push his chin up.

"Your brother loves you more than even the All Father. All he wants is for you to be happy." She said, voice thick with conviction because she'd heard those very things fall from Thor's own lips.

"I had forgotten what happiness was until you happened into my garden." He offered to her, his heart on his display for all the world to see.

Jane understood what it means that he's told her this and pushes herself across the distance between them.

Her lips met his, and it felt like this was where everything was always supposed to end up. He moved in sync with her, his cool fingers leaving her spine tingling from their places on her body. She leaned into deepen the kiss and he lifted her off her feet for the smallest moment.

When they pull apart is breathless and elated but she stares into his familiar green eyes and whispered one word:

" _Hi._ "

Loki smiled and sensed that he, too, needed a new beginning, and so he leaned into her hair, taking in her scent. He felt that maybe, just maybe, everything could finally just be.

" _Hi_. _"_ He breathed just for her, and for the both of them it was enough to be going on with.

* * *

 

**Author's Note:**

> Loki's lullabye is an Old Norse hymn I once heard in my Tolkien class at school. Jane is of course playing "Songbird," by Fleetwood Mac.


End file.
